Milwaukee's soaring homicide rate is posing a new challenge for city leaders combating the image of a city consumed by violence.

WISN 12 News reporter Kent Wainscott spoke with the mayor and police chief about what they insist is a mistaken view of Milwaukee.

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It's a staggering statistic: more than 100 homicides in less than eight months. That's more than were recorded in all of 2014.

“We're having a very bad year,” Milwaukee Police Chief Ed Flynn said.

The city’s growing homicide rate is now making headlines across the country, while city leaders try to put the spotlight on the massive growth and investment reshaping the city's downtown.

“Are you concerned that all of that effort is in the shadow, perhaps, of this image of a violent city?” Wainscott asked Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrettt.

“Well again, what we have to do is not ignore the bad things. And I don't ignore the bad things, but also talk about the good things and not let people just dwell on the negative,” Barrett said.

Flynn addressed the challenge facing the city while speaking during an event at Marquette University's law school.

“People are getting a better general sense of what the real Milwaukee is, but yeah, we got a moral obligation to deal with the extraordinary levels of violence,” Flynn said.

Flynn said most of the violent crime occurs in a handful of dangerous neighborhoods.

“As of today, our homicides are running 82 percent ahead of last year, so it's a dramatic and sudden change,” he said.

Flynn said the spike follows several recent years with some of the lowest homicide numbers in decades.

Milwaukee leaders, like Common Council President Michael Murphy, know the rising numbers send a message about Milwaukee.

“How concerning is that?” Wainscott asked.

“Oh, it's very concerning. Obviously, I think that's not a representation of what our city is all about,” Murphy said.

Flynn said Milwaukee is not alone. Several other cities are also seeing a spike in homicides.

But perhaps the best news is a recent downturn in overall crime numbers. Flynn said, as of Thursday, crime of all types in Milwaukee during the month of August is down dramatically compared to August of last year.